Rio Rancho schools are taking steps to help protect students with life-threatening allergies.

The school board put strict guidelines into effect in December. Schools are seeing more students with severe food allergies.

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While the Rio Rancho School District trains its staff on what to do when a student has a reaction, administrators say it's up to parents to lend them a hand. It could be any type of food that triggers an allergic reaction, and it can happen to just about any kid.

That's why the Rio Rancho School Board passed two pages of guidelines that spell out how the school handles students with those allergies.

“We want everybody to know what's going on with them and we want to make sure everybody's on the same page,” said Tonna Burgos. She is the executive director of Student Services at RRPS.

Burgos said while school nurses and teachers are familiar with handling allergic reactions, it’s up to parents to tell the schools about problems.

“If we don't know if a student has an allergy, then we don't know and we can't do anything about it,” Burgos said.

That's where parents come in. The guidelines list which forms parents need to fill out. It includes one that gives the school consent to help them in an emergency.

Another form allows school officials to give students medicine, most commonly an epi-pen, when they're having a reaction.

All of this information, including forms to fill out, can be found on the school district's website.

Staff at each of the schools will review these guidelines in two weeks, before kids get back to classes from the holiday break.